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Regular Agenda Item 3. D.

Regular BOS Meeting

Meeting Date:	05/07/2019
Submitted By:	Jacque Sanders, Deputy County Manager/Librarian
Department:	Deputy County Mgr/Library District

Information

Request/Subject

Adoption of Resolution No. 19-05-02 regarding support of improvements on the Lions Springs portion of Highway 260

Background Information

Gila County staff was recently informed that the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) staff has once again recommended removing funding for improvements on Highway 260 in the area of Lion Springs in Gila County from its current Five-Year Program. Such recommendation would perpetuate a bottleneck (i.e., an undivided two lane roadway surrounded on both sides by a four lane divided highway) in the corridor between Phoenix and the top of the Mogollon Rim.

Evaluation

The Lion Springs portion of Highway 260 has been slated for construction and then postponed, and then removed, and then reinstated several times since 2001. In May 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted a similar resolution in response to an earlier removal of this project from the 2016 Five-Year Plan. At that time, the ADOT governing board reinstated this project into their plan, and it has been included every year, although it has been continually pushed to future years. At the April 2019, ADOT Board meeting, Gila County staff spoke and delivered letters from the Gila County Sheriff's Office and the Tonto National Forest requesting that this project be reinstated to ADOT's Five-Year Plan, and that ADOT commit to actual completion of this portion of highway. Representatives from the Hellsgate Fire District, Town of Payson and Town of Star Valley, and a local resident also spoke on this issue.

Conclusion

If adopted, this resolution will be hand-delivered at the next ADOT Board hearing on May 17, 2019, in Phoenix, AZ. The Town of Payson is planning to submit a similar resolution, and County management has requested that Navajo and Apache Counties consider adoptiong resolutions on this matter.

Recommendation

Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors consider adopting Resolution No. 19-05-02.

Suggested Motion

Information/Discussion/Action to adopt Resolution No. 19-05-02 supporting completion of the improvements to Highway 260 in the area of Lion Springs in Gila County. (James Menlove)

Attachments
Resolution No. 19-05-02